


Outside Instinct

by amonkeysue



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-17 08:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2302586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amonkeysue/pseuds/amonkeysue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you run into the man formerly known as the Winter Soldier enough times, you invite him to get frozen yogurt together, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fitting In

**Author's Note:**

> I saw [this](http://drparisa.tumblr.com/post/96902854652/what-i-want-from-cap-3-is-sam-and-steve-busting) post on tumblr and I decided I had to write up a quick little ficlet as inspiration hit.

A quick glance at his watch told him he had been waiting for five minutes. A glance at the people walking by sent them scurrying a few steps away from him. He was still trying to figure out this whole ‘don’t look threatening to other people’ thing. Some habits were hard to break.

Yet despite his seeming inability to act like a friendly, normal member of society, she kept on interacting with him and making plans that he may or may not actually turn up for.

He had to admit that a part of him enjoyed and even craved the contact, hence why he had actually decided to wait outside the frozen yogurt place.

She came running up to him. “Sorry! Kinda had to spend a little extra time than I anticipated with work.” She brushed back several loose brunette strands that were trying to attach to the front of her face and looked to him for a reply.

“That’s okay.”

“How long have you been waiting? And be honest.”

“Just a couple minutes.”

“Hmm.” It only took her a moment to stand there before she shrugged. “Well, we’re both here to eat froyo. I vote we go and eat that froyo.”

He followed her inside and through the process of getting a bowl of frozen yogurt- he chose a strawberry banana base, she chose a peanut butter and chocolate mix. At her behest, they both layered up on toppings, with an emphasis on the chocolate varieties.

It was second nature to notice the looks the cashier and the few other customers gave them, notably because of him. Come to think of it, he probably did look a little more homeless than anything else at the moment. Being a little worried of him could also arguably be in everyone else’s best interests.

He surprised himself a little by how quickly he cut in to pay for her bowl as well. He even smiled. A little bit of his old self peeking through?

She blinked before breaking out into a smile.

After they had officially legally obtained their frozen yogurt, she steered them outside to a metal table, having picked up on the wary signals from everyone inside.

“So what have you been up to?”

He paused. “Not much.”

“Oh really?” After a bite, she pointed her spoon at his chest. “You seem like a very dynamic person, with your whole’ I don’t want to talk to anyone and I may or may not vary from being super sweet to a little offsetting’ vibe you’ve got going and all that jazz. Seriously dude. I’ve been patient, but I really want to know your story if we’re going to keep on hanging out.”

Another pause on his part. Half his brain was spinning around mission protocol, the other half was reminding him that this was not a mission, that he was working on discovering who he was, the man inside of the weapon.

“I don’t think you would believe me.” 

“Confession time- I tazed the god of thunder and my best friend kept on hitting him with her car and that’s just the beginning of the story. Try me.”

“I’m busy trying to figure out how I fit in the world,” he blurted out. It was a true enough statement.

She knowingly nodded. “Aren’t we all?” Another bite before she tilted her head. “But am I supposed to believe that’s all Bucky Barnes has been up to? Or at least I’m assuming you’re trying to get back to being Bucky Barnes?”

He kept himself from bristling, instead only frowning as he kept some of his instincts at bay. Do not do anything to hurt Darcy Lewis. No mission, no one in command. Break away. Don’t do what they would have wanted.

Hence why he kept himself constrained to an, “Oh.”

“Political science major. Every kid who goes through the education system learns about Captain America and the Howling Commandos. You tell me your name is James. How do you think I could not recognize you, outside details withstanding?”

“The outside details.” He sounded a little protective.

“Hmm. You and I have some talking to do. I actually have a lot of questions, particularly since the internet’s answers don’t always stem from the source. But probably not now. Eat your froyo.”

Bucky obliged.


	2. String by String

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy and Bucky went out for lunch and she's got questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love how school can keep you busy and how you can have sudden realizations of, "Oh no, Nanowrimo is nearly upon me! I should at least put something up before I get too distracted!"

There was an astounding woman who full well knew who he was, minus the particulars as to how he had jumped seventy years.

On the one hand, it was surprisingly nice not to have to worry over concealing any hints as to the man he formerly was. However, if Darcy Lewis, after running into him, had been able to easily identify him, that didn’t bode well for trying to keep away from any remaining Hydra fragments.

One social media user with a chance sighting of him and a penchant for history and Bucky could be all over the news.

Yet his more pressing concern revolved around the fact that he was nervous to offer Darcy any explanations for her questions. 

“Is there any particular reason you’ve gone for the homeless look?”

“It’s a long story.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Okay.”

Bucky focused his attention onto cutting his cheesecake into pieces with the side of his fork. 

Darcy pressed on. “Clearly if you wanted to not answer anything you would have not met up with me at all after the first time we ran into each other. So if you’re interested in sticking around, I think I deserve some answers to dissipate my confusion on the matter at hand- that’s you, and how you’re here and looking like World War II was just last month.”

He attempted to distract by taking a bite. Darcy sighed.

“It really is a long story.”

“I don’t necessarily doubt that. You’re just making it sound like there’s no way to summarize it.”

Casually, he managed a shrug. “There really isn’t,” Bucky stated, a little matter-of-fact.

In one movement Darcy pushed her plate aside and propped her head up by her wrist. “Fine then,” she said, “fit it in an hour. Or so.”

“I’m not sure you’d even want to know.”

“Try me.”

“It’s not a simple story.”

“Life never is.” Darcy tilted her head to the side and paused for several seconds. “Besides, I’m going to make the deal that if you want to keep on meeting up, you’ve got to tell me about yourself- and not just the textbook history. Whatever happened these last 70 years.”

He took another bite, followed by a drink. She carefully watched him. He nearly uncomfortably shifted before keeping himself in check.

“What do you know about SHIELD?” Bucky cautiously asked.

“Former security agency. Now has all of its secrets out on the internet, so it’s kinda hard to keep up that whole security thing. Captain America was with SHIELD and there was an Agent Coulson who sort of stole a bunch of research and equipment from a friend. What’s SHIELD got to do with you? Were you frozen like Cap?”

“I’ll get to it,” he softly murmured before asking, “What about Hydra?”

Darcy frowned. “Terrorist organization that you worked against during the war time. Recently turned out to be at all levels of SHIELD and God knows what else around the world, but the big infrastructure is gone.”

Slowly, Bucky nodded. “Okay.” He swallowed, unconsciously clenching his fists. “I was…” He faltered.

“Hey, do you need-.”

“I’ve been with Hydra. An asset. An assassin. They used me and, and wiped my brain and put me on ice.” The words practically fell off Bucky’s tongue faster than he could think them.

“Um…”

“I’m a weapon.” It came out half a gasp, half a whisper.

Silence reigned for one long moment before Darcy hesitantly reached out to lay one of her hands on top of Bucky’s. He realized he’d started shaking.

“Um, hey. That’s… rough.” She started to say something else, stopped. 

Bucky could only find it in him to stare at her, leery of Darcy’s reaction.

He slowly resigned himself to no further contact after leaving the restaurant.

She finally continued, “Sounds like you do have a long story.”

“Something like that,” he muttered.

Her phone buzzed, and Darcy’s reaction to her message consisted of a long sigh. “Okay, sorry, this is really bad timing, but my friend really needs some assistance. But, we’re not done talking, Mr. Barnes. You’ve got some story to tell me.”

“I… okay.”

Bucky hopped up to grab Darcy’s chair before she could stand.

“… Thanks.”

“Yeah.” He took a step back.

“So then, maybe tomorrow for froyo again?”

Softly, he replied, “I think I’d like that.”

To both of their surprise, Darcy quickly pulled Bucky into a hug, pulling away almost as quickly as she’d started it.

“See you then,” she blurted out before racing out the restaurant, her cheeks slightly pink.

Bucky stood for a moment in shock, still feeling the warmth of Darcy’s hug. 

He realized that she had actually touched his left arm.

For the first time in a while, Bucky Barnes grinned.


End file.
